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Updated: May 1, 2026

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Published on: March 30, 2016

Procedures for behavioral experiments in head-fixed mice.

Zengcai V Guo¹, S Andrew Hires¹, Nuo Li¹

¹Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, United States of America.

|February 13, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Head-fixed mice can perform complex sensory tasks using water restriction for training. These methods enable detailed study of neural circuits during behavior.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Behavioral Science

Background:

Mice are key models for mammalian neuronal circuit analysis.
Probing neural circuits requires observing them during behavior.
Head-fixation facilitates precise stimulus control and movement measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe procedures for head-fixation, water restriction, and behavioral training in mice.
To enable the study of neural circuits during active, whisker-based tactile behaviors.
To facilitate choice-based, perceptual decision tasks in head-fixed mice.

Main Methods:

Mice underwent water restriction (approx. 1 ml/day) until body weight stabilized.
Operant conditioning was used to train mice in go/no-go and dual lickport tasks.
Sensory stimuli were presented, and licking responses were recorded.

Main Results:

Head-fixed mice learned to discriminate sensory stimuli rapidly.
Mice performed perceptual decision tasks with high accuracy over hundreds of trials.
Water restriction up to four months showed no adverse health effects.

Conclusions:

Established procedures allow for robust behavioral training in head-fixed mice.
Water restriction is crucial for motivating task performance.
These paradigms integrate with advanced techniques like cellular imaging and electrophysiology.